Surgical lamps are typically attached to the ceiling of an operating theatre, to a wall, or to a movable stand by means of a so called carrying system. Usually, the carrying system includes a first boom that is pivotable about a vertical axis, and a second boom that is horizontally pivotable and height-adjustable. With this carrying system, the surgical lamp can be positioned at any of various different locations in the room for illuminating a surgical site.
Usually, surgical lamps are provided with a handle that is located in a sterile area of the surgical lamp, and with which the sterile surgeon can position the surgical lamp.
Usually, surgical lamps are provided with additional handles at the outer circumference of the lamp body for positioning the lamp before surgery or during surgery, by non-sterile surgical personnel.
In recent years, surgical interventions using minimally invasive surgical techniques have increased. These surgeries are performed without large surgical openings but only with small openings through which optical equipment and surgical instruments are inserted. The view of the minimally invasive surgical site is shown by monitors that can be attached to the carrying system of the surgical lamp via a camera system.
When applying this technique, bright light of the surgical lamp is necessary at the beginning of the surgery when opening a part of a body for the surgery. During the minimally invasive surgery, the surgical lamp is switched off and the room illumination in the operating theatre is dimmed for improving the surgeon's view of the monitors, which display the view of the surgical site based on images transmitted from the endoscope.